Beet Chips

Well, I have taken a couple of weeks off, but have not been sitting idle.  I have been experimenting in the kitchen, prepping text for my new website, helping kids with homework, working and been sick.   So, in those two weeks, here is one thing I have discovered.

I am addicted to beet chips.

I have seen multiple pinterest posts about making beet, sweet potato, and zucchini chips.  As someone who has a weakness for the occasional BBQ potato chip, I figure these have to be better for me for multiple reasons.  First, I can bake or fry them myself and therefore know what it's taken to make them.  Secondly, I know the seasoning is simply salt.

So over the last couple of weeks I have been experimenting with making beet chips. And here are a couple of other things I have learned about beet chips.

1.  Mine rarely come out looking like the ones in the online pictures.

First I baked them.  I placed them on a wire rack, over a cookie sheet, and baked them (I hate frying stuff).  So here's what happened.  First, they burnt around the edges.  No matter how closely I watched them, they burnt.  However, the middle of the chips were typically still mushy. These chips didn't even warrant a picture.

So, next I cooked them in coconut oil.  I know that a vegetable or canola oil is more typical for frying foods, but these oils are inflammatory to our bodies, and therefore I try to keep my use of them to an absolute minimum.  These chips improved as I got the hang of it.  I found the ones sliced at 1/8th of an inch vs. slightly larger, came out much crispier.  Consistently, however, I found that even as I got the edges crisp, the middles were still mushy.  I did try to dry my beets on paper towels when taking them out of the oil, and then place them on drying racks to try to increase air circulation, but they were still mushy in the middle.

2. I can eat an entire beet (even one the size of a small football) by myself - is that a good thing?

So even though these two attempts did not come out looking like the pinterest posts said they should, they were still absolutely delicious. In fact, even the burnt ones were good.  I did share a few pieces of beet with my family, but found that I simply couldn't stop grazing on them.  Seasoned with a bit of Himalayan Salt these were better than any potato chip I have ever had.

I will keep experimenting with these recipes to see if I can get them perfected.  One of my friends suggested dehydrating them, which I will attempt next.  In the meantime, I will continue to eat even the ones that are less than picture perfect.  These are a delicious, sweet and salty treat and I am addicted.  This is one addiction I am willing to keep.

Yours in health,
Shelley Allen  Health Coach  MS, OTR/L

www.yoursensationalself.com

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3. I will keep making these chips and indulging in their deliciousness all winter.